12/17/2012 6:12 PM
Like most of us, I'm always a bit reticent to post any kind of comments on a subject as tragic and controversial as this one. And like anyone else I have "my" own opinion on the particular topic of guns and gun control. Obviously, my heart goes out to these families and the tragedy they have suffered and the anguish they will suffer for the rest of their lives. I am 37 years old. I grew up hunting and shooting and was exposed to a wide variety of different firearms, bows, etc at a young age. I grew up with fireams mounted on the wall of my home (unloaded). My parents taught me from a very young age to respect those firearms, just as their parents taught them the same thing before me, and their parents before them. I was taught safe handling and operation at a very young age. I was taught that these were tools, and dangerous ones at that, and not to touch them unless I was in the presence of a responsible adult. I was a loved child, brought up in a loving home. I was hugged and encouraged often. I also grew up in the golden age of video games that began to glorify violence. My parents did not allow me play video games that were not "age appropriate". When I got to the age that I was "grown up" enough to play these games, they sat down with me and explained the difference between reality and fantasy. They explained to me that "there is no reset button in life". I do believe that responsibility starts at home, with family, with parenting. I've heard accounts that this young man had Aspergers, autism, etc. I cannot comment on this young mans mental health issues, if he had any such at all. However, if indeed that was the case, it does seem to me that his mother, while legally owning these firearms, was somewhat irresponsible just by possessing these guns in a home where a troubled or mentally ill child resided. I am an NRA member and "gun enthusiast" (I've always hated that term). And for the record, I am not a parent. All of my firearms are kept locked up separately from ammunition, which is locked up in a different location. I do keep one loaded weapon hidden away for a "bump in the night" situation. But whenever my niece, nephew or any other child enters my home, that weapon gets unloaded and locked away also. I do believe in the Second Amendment, however I don't agree with the overabundance and accessibility of semiautomatic rifles. I do believe that responsible adults should be allowed to own and purchase these weapons but i agree we definitely need a better check and balance system to dispense them. 99.9% of people you meet at gun shows are safe and responsible gun owners. Once in a while you see a "weekend warrior" who wants his FIRST gun to be a semiautomatic rifle. We all learned to ride a bike by way of tricycle, then training wheels, and graduated up to a two wheeler. Most of us were taught to respect the force of an automobile when being taught to drive. Firearms have been around for a long time. I do believe that the increase in these types of instances over the last 15 or so years are predicated more on changes or deficiencies in our societal structure than by guns or games or mass media coverage alone. Again, I do think that changes to gun laws regarding semiautomtic weapons are warranted, but it is not the inherent root of the problem. Evil is evil, and it will always exist. Anything can be evil in the wrong hands. Ideas with a fervent following can be evil. I always remember a quote from an interview with Jerry Garcia. Someone asked him in an interview why he didn't talk to the audience more often during concerts and voice his opinions, given he was a "voice" of the counterculture at the time. His response was, flatly, "look at what Hitler did with a microphone". Anything can be destructive if used improperly. Things need to change. Not just in this country. Everywhere. Culture. Gun control laws. Parenting. Society. Sorry to prattle on so much. Not looking to debate anything. Just my thoughts. Hug your kids and your loved ones more often than necessary. The people you surround yourself with, keep close to your heart, and love are always much more special than they often appear. I'm not a religious man, but in the spirit of Timothy Cratchit, God bless everyone, every last one of us. Happy Holidays